Profile: Amanda McKenzie

First published in Express News letter #76

 “Youth Decide is about giving the generation who will be most affected by the decisions made at Copenhagen the opportunity to vote for the world they want to inherit.” Providing leadership is Amanda McKenzie, the National Co-ordinator Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Voting online continues until 21 September.

Organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) and World Vision Australia, Youth Decide is a national campaign allowing 12 to 29 year olds to register to join the movement and then cast their vote online from 14 to 21 September.

Ms McKenzie said the vote results would be shared with Australia’s government leaders and then taken to the United Nations during Climate Week in New York in September and to Copenhagen in December.

Amanda McKenzie is the National Co-ordinator Australian Youth Climate Coalition

Amanda has spent significant time working to inspire, educate and empower young Australians to take action on climate change, in their own lives, schools and communities.

This has included:

• establishing ASCENT, the Australian Climate Change Education Network in 2006, an independent non-profit organisation aiming to bring accurate information about climate change to the average person
• playing a key role in the development of the international youth climate movement, in particular helping organise the International Youth Climate Conference which brought together 200 youth delegates from across the world.

Amanda is currently the National Coordinator of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, the peak youth body on climate change which represents youth organisations across Australia.

The AYCC both coordinates its member groups activities as well as developing collaborative national projects and campaigns to build a generation wide movement to ensure adequate action is taken to avert the climate crisis.

Amanda attended the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali as a member of the Australian Government’s delegation as an official advisor and youth representative.

She represented Australian youth in discussions with Federal Ministers, State Government representatives, Professor Ross Garnaut and business and industry representatives from across the world.

Amanda completed a Law degree with honours at Monash Univeristy after completing a Arts degree from Melbourne University in 2004. Her 15,000 word honours thesis, for which she acheived a High Distinction considering: ‘Designing an Emissions Trading Scheme that is Compatible with the Global Carbon Market’.

 Youth to decide on their climate change future

Australia’s youth, who will be the most impacted by climate change, will for the first time have their say on the action they want global leaders to take, with Youth Decide.

Organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) and World Vision Australia, Youth Decide is a national campaign allowing 12 to 29 year olds to register to join the movement and then cast their vote online from 14 to 21 September.

Amanda McKenzie, co-director of AYCC and this year’s winner of the Banksia Young Environmentalist of the Year Award said the future of the world’s youth was at stake.

“Youth Decide is about giving the generation who will be most affected by the decisions made at Copenhagen the opportunity to vote for the world they want to inherit,” Ms McKenzie said.

“Approximately 50 youth from Canberra are here for the launch of Youth Decide to address politicians who will this week be making decisions in Parliament on the CPRS legislation.

“While the government can rescue irresponsible financial institutions and hand consumers cash, the environment won’t respond to stimulus packages. Inadequate action will leave us with an irreversible debt that we won’t be able to spend our way out of,” she said.

World Vision’s CEO Tim Costello said throughout history young people had been at the front of movements for social and political change and had an important role to play in the climate change debate.

“Businesses, unions, resource groups, environmentalists, scientists, governments are all clamouring to be heard, but we need to give voice to the very people who will be most impacted by our decisions,” Mr Costello said.

Alana Smith, National Director of World Vision’s youth movement, Vision Generation, said Youth Decide was sending a message to government’s all around the world that young people cared deeply about the future of the planet and wanted to take part in the solution.

“Many young people are passionate about climate change but feel frustrated that individual voices aren’t being heard,” Ms Smith said. “We’re changing that by coordinating a youth movement that all young people can join.

“We are talking with schools and universities right across Australia and organizing local events run by young people where they can learn how policy will impact climate change outcomes.”

Drawing on research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Youth Decide is working with leading Australian Climate Scientists to summarise likely outcomes for the various emission reduction targets governments are proposing. This will then form part of the vote.

Ms McKenzie said the vote results would be shared with Australia’s government leaders and then taken to the United Nations during Climate Week in New York in September and to Copenhagen in December.

“We are encouraging all young Australians to visit www.youthdecide.com.au to register to vote and to receive news and updates about how they can get involved in their local area.”

Source: www.youthdecide.com.au and www.aycc.org.au